1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a trigger for crossbows, and more particularly to a novel spring and a novel bolt stop plate that are part of the trigger.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Six centuries ago the crossbow gave harassed foot soldiers the deadly fire power they needed to effectively combat armour clad mounted knights. Today, sportsmen are enjoying the exciting sport of crossbow shooting on target ranges and on hunting and fishing expeditions. These sportsmen demand handsome crossbows that combine accuracy, durability, and safety at a reasonable price. Some early examples of modern crossbow art are disclosed by U.S. Pat. to Coates, No. 537,817, Bruder, No. 577,641; more recent examples are U.S. Pat. to Drake, No. 3,028,851, and Jones, No. 3,581,729.
A crossbow, which may have a seventy-five pound draw, is a dangerous weapon whose trigger mechanism should protect the operator and others from an accidental misfiring. The trigger mechanism must also be very reliable and durable if the crossbow is to be used outdoors for hunting or fishing. An accurate, adjustable rear sight on the trigger mechanism of a crossbow increases its usefulness as a sportsman's weapon. Providing all these desirable features in a crossbow trigger that can be sold at reasonable cost poses difficult problems for an inventor of crossbow mechanisms.
While arrows for use in conventional hand release bows may have a notch or nock in the rear end to accommodate the bowstring, one type of crossbow uses arrows or "bolts" that do not have a nock in the rear end. Proper firing of these crossbow bolts requires that when the crossbow string is drawn and the crossbow trigger cocked, a preselected space should be provided between the crossbow string and the rear end of the crossbow bolt clamped to the stock. When the trigger mechanism releases the string, it travels across this space before smacking into the bolt's rear end to launch it from the crossbow. Accordingly, another problem confronting the designer of crossbow mechanisms is how to provide this preselected space in a manner that will assure a uniform space from shot to shot yet not require careful adjustment for each shot.
One type of trigger is designed to slide tightly into a receiving slot in a crossbow stock. In such a trigger the moving interior parts may be pivotably mounted within a trigger housing on hinge pins that slide axially into holes in the housing sides for a flush fit. But it has been observed that should a slight axial movement of the hinge pins somehow occur, the pins may dislocate from their holes in the housing, making the trigger inoperative. Therefore, a better way to retain flush mounted pins must be found.